Replication Package:
"Happy to Help: Welfare Effects of a Nationwide Volunteering Programme"

Author: Christian Krekel (c.krekel@lse.ac.uk)
Date: September 30, 2024

Software: StataSE 18 (64-bit)
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro

Instruction: copy all files into the same folder, then run Master.do. 

1. Replication Files

1a. Scripts

- 0_Master.do: runs all .do files in order
- 1_Data.do: generates estimation sample
- 2_Manuscript_Tables.do: generates tables in paper
- 3_Supplementary_Materials_Tables.do: generates tables in supplementary materials

1b. Data

- Survey_Data.csv: raw survey data
- Admin_Data_Universe.csv: raw admin data on universe of volunteers (more than 500,000, including survey respondents and non-respondents)
- Admin_Data_Tasks_Timestamps.dta: admin data on timestamps of first and last task completed by survey respondents
- Admin_Data_Task_Behaviour.dta: admin data on task behaviour and basic demographics of survey respondents
- Admin_Data_Task_Behaviour_Universe_2*.dta: admin data on task behaviour and basic demographics of universe of volunteers
- Admin_Data_Covid_Admitted_*.dta: admin data on daily new and cumulative number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital
- Admin_Data_Covid_Cases_*.dta: admin data on daily new and cumulative number of people with at least one lab-confirmed positive Covid-19 test result
- Admin_Data_Covid_Deaths_*.dta: admin data on daily new and cumulative number of deaths of people who had a positive test result for Covid-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive test
- Admin_Data_Covid_Hospital_*.dta: admin data on daily number of confirmed Covid-19 patients in hospital at midnight the preceding night
- Admin_Data_Covid_Ventilation_*.dta: admin data on daily number of confirmed Covid-19 patients in mechanical ventilation beds
- Admin_Data_Alerts_IMDs_LADs.dta: admin data on number of alerts and indices of multiple deprivation at level of Local Authority Districts (LADs)
- Correspondence_LSOA_LAD.dta: matches between Lower Level Super Output Areas (LSOAs) and Local Authority Districts (LADs)
- Main_Estimation_Sample.dta: our main estimation sample based on survey and admin data (N=4,358) for sample comparisons in Table A7
- Extended_Estimation_Sample.dta: our extended estimation sample based on survey data alone (N=9,163) for sample comparisons in Table A7

2. Data Dictionary

The following data dictionary is based on our main estimation sample. 

2a. Treatment Variables

The variable treatment_a is our main treatment dummy. It also exists in a service-specific version, namely treatment_a_service12 and treatment_a_service3, for Transport and Community Response (treatment_a_service12) and for Check In And Chat (treatment_a_service3). We are using these variables to look at the extensive margin of volunteering (volunteering yes or no). To study the intensive margin (volunteering amount), we have additionally defined the variables treatment_a_int as well as treatment_a_serv12_int and treatment_a_service3_int, which allocate volunteers into different categories of the overall task frequency distribution. 

Besides treatment_a, there also exists treatment_s, which defines treatment from self-reports. We only use this in a robustness check. 

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treatment_a                                                                                                              (unlabeled)
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                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        1,144  0
                        3,214  1

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treatment_a_service12                                                                                                    (unlabeled)
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                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 1,479/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                          826  0
                        2,053  1
                        1,479  .

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treatment_a_service3                                                                                                     (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 1,598/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                          545  0
                        2,215  1
                        1,598  .

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treatment_a_int                                                                                                          (unlabeled)
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                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,6]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 7                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        1,144  0
                          287  1
                          299  2
                        1,079  3
                          767  4
                          453  5
                          329  6

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treatment_a_serv12_int                                                                                                   (unlabeled)
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                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,6]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 7                         Missing .: 1,479/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                          826  0
                          140  1
                          392  2
                          536  3
                          437  4
                          328  5
                          220  6
                        1,479  .

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treatment_a_service3_int                                                                                                 (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,6]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 7                         Missing .: 1,598/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                          545  0
                          177  1
                          213  2
                          791  3
                          528  4
                          287  5
                          219  6
                        1,598  .

2b. Outcomes

The following variables are our outcomes:

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satisfaction_life                                                                                                        (unlabeled)
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                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,10]                        Units: 1
         Unique values: 11                        Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 7.2547
             Std. dev.: 2.0591

           Percentiles:    10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                             4         6         8         9        10

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worthwhileness_life                                                                                                      (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,10]                        Units: 1
         Unique values: 11                        Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 7.58444
             Std. dev.: 1.96167

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                              5         7         8         9        10

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belongingness                                                                                                            (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        1,248  0
                        3,110  1

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connectedness                                                                                                            (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        2,180  0
                        2,178  1

2c. Covariates

Besides postcode area fixed effects (postcode_admin_aggregated2_*), we routinely control for the following variables:

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age2                                                                                                                     (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [1,7]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 7                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                           40  1
                          181  2
                          461  3
                        1,014  4
                        1,709  5
                          942  6
                           11  7

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gender                                                                                                                   (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [1,4]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 4                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        1,479  1
                        2,865  2
                            3  3
                           11  4

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ethnicity2                                                                                                               (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [1,5]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 5                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                          196  1
                           68  2
                           43  3
                        4,020  4
                           31  5

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religion                                                                                                                 (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [1,9]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 9                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        1,405  1
                           46  2
                        2,539  3
                           52  4
                           44  5
                           83  6
                           29  7
                           82  8
                           78  9

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condition                                                                                                                (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [1,4]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 4                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        3,221  1
                        1,047  2
                           41  3
                           49  4

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isolating                                                                                                                (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [1,3]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 3                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        3,982  1
                          352  2
                           24  3

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volunteered_before                                                                                                       (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                          932  0
                        3,426  1

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volunteered_elsewhere                                                                                                    (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [1,3]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 3                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        2,865  1
                          870  2
                          623  3

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volunteered_elsewhere_where                                                                                              (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,7]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 8                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        2,865  0
                          206  1
                          454  2
                          176  3
                          136  4
                           77  5
                          191  6
                          253  7

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motivations2_1                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                           71  0
                        4,287  1

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motivations2_2                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        4,031  0
                          327  1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
motivations2_3                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        4,062  0
                          296  1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
motivations2_4                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        4,297  0
                           61  1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
motivations2_5                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        1,215  0
                        3,143  1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
motivations2_6                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        4,120  0
                          238  1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
motivations2_7                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        3,651  0
                          707  1

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motivations2_8                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        4,130  0
                          228  1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
motivations2_9                                                                                                           (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        3,858  0
                          500  1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
motivations2_10                                                                                                          (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,1]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 2                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        4,182  0
                          176  1

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fidelity                                                                                                                 (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [165000,1.396e+09]            Units: 1000
         Unique values: 1,032                     Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 3.7e+06
             Std. dev.: 5.9e+07

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                         322000    393000    498500    664000    898000

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date                                                                                                            date_interview_start
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric daily date (float)

                 Range: [22100,22153]                 Units: 1
       Or equivalently: [04jul2020,26aug2020]         Units: days
         Unique values: 35                        Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 22109.6 = 13jul2020(+ 14 hours)
             Std. dev.: 7.01175
           Percentiles:       10%        25%        50%        75%        90%
                            22100      22100      22114      22115      22115
                        04jul2020  04jul2020  18jul2020  19jul2020  19jul2020

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week_day                                                                                                                 (unlabeled)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (float)

                 Range: [0,6]                         Units: 1
         Unique values: 7                         Missing .: 0/4,358

            Tabulation: Freq.  Value
                        1,097  0
                          346  1
                           93  2
                           71  3
                           53  4
                           22  5
                        2,676  6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
newAdmissions                                                                                                          newAdmissions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (int)

                 Range: [0,34]                        Units: 1
         Unique values: 31                        Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 12.4711
             Std. dev.: 6.81029

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                              5         7        11        19        21

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cumAdmissions                                                                                                          cumAdmissions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (int)

                 Range: [5973,24738]                  Units: 1
         Unique values: 147                       Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 15888.2
             Std. dev.: 5485.35

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                           6033     13668     16252     21214     24170

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hospitalCases                                                                                                          hospitalCases
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (int)

                 Range: [19,446]                      Units: 1
         Unique values: 121                       Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 213.604
             Std. dev.: 106.051

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                             52       148       217       247       406

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covidOccupiedMVBeds                                                                                              covidOccupiedMVBeds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (int)

                 Range: [0,52]                        Units: 1
         Unique values: 37                        Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 19.4472
             Std. dev.: 11.3921

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                              1        12        19        26        33

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newCasesBySpecimenDate                                                                                        newCasesBySpecimenDate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (int)

                 Range: [5,299]                       Units: 1
         Unique values: 104                       Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 67.1794
             Std. dev.: 41.0802

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                             12        31        54       101       114

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cumCasesBySpecimenDate                                                                                        cumCasesBySpecimenDate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (long)

                 Range: [12764,53481]                 Units: 1
         Unique values: 147                       Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 35794.2
             Std. dev.:   11147

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                          12997     33927     34795     45055     48992

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newDeaths28DaysByDeathDate                                                                                newDeaths28DaysByDeathDate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (int)

                 Range: [0,11]                        Units: 1
         Unique values: 12                        Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean: 3.18196
             Std. dev.: 2.62361

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                              0         1         3         4         7

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cumDeaths28DaysByDeathDate                                                                                cumDeaths28DaysByDeathDate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  Type: Numeric (int)

                 Range: [1866,7483]                   Units: 1
         Unique values: 128                       Missing .: 0/4,358

                  Mean:  5252.5
             Std. dev.: 1584.73

           Percentiles:     10%       25%       50%       75%       90%
                           1873      4841      5644      6132      7430
